Western Gull Injures Head

The following story about a western gull was shared with us by the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA Wildlife Care Center in California.

Western gulls are opportunistic feeders, capturing their own prey, scavenging trash, and stealing food from seals and other gulls. They are also a curious species that often get themselves in tricky situations.

Therefore, it was not surprising on July 20, 2022, when this juvenile gull arrived with missing feathers and scabbing from the back of its head, indicating the patient got its head stuck in something. In addition, the patient had some abrasions between the side of its mouth and right eye. There was also some swelling under its jaw.

With its face painful, the patient had no interest in eating on its own. Therefore, we supplemented nutrition with EmerAid IC Piscivore.

After stabilizing, this gull made its way up to International Bird Rescue to continue the rest of its recovery.